Attorney General

On 7 October 2025, the Crown Prosecution Service applied to appeal to the High Court by way of case stated, challenging the Chief Magistrate’s interpretation of the law. As these remain active proceedings, you will understand that it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.

It makes sense to await the final resolution of the case before conducting any sort of post-mortem and that also avoids any risk of prejudicing any future proceedings.

Domestic Abuse (DA) causes severe and lasting harm to victims. Bringing perpetrators of these crimes to justice is a top priority for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

In partnership with the National Police Chiefs Council, the CPS launched the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan (DA JJP) in November 2024 to improve their collective response to the investigation and prosecution of DA cases.

The DA JJP sets out how the police and CPS will strengthen joint working – from building stronger cases from the outset to improving victim safeguarding to deliver more timely justice for victims. This coordinated approach is key to breaking cycles of abuse, securing prosecutions, and ensuring that victims are heard, protected, and supported throughout the justice process.

The focused work within the DA JJP has already had a positive impact on most CPS performance metrics. For example, referral volumes from police to CPS have increased by 14% since the DA JJP was launched. Charging pilots have also been launched to improve timeliness, with national rollout set for the end of 2025.

The forthcoming CPS VAWG Strategy, due for publication later this year, recognises the link between DA and VAWG related offending. Through the strategy, the CPS will further strengthen its response to DA through updated prosecution guidance, enhanced training modules and an improved services to victims of DA.

This Government’s Safer Streets Mission will drive forward the change we need to crack down on shoplifting – a crime that is blighting our communities.

This Government is putting a stop to the effective immunity for shoplifting of goods below £200 and bringing in a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect those who face unacceptable abuse in their roles serving the public.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutes shoplifting cases robustly where the Code of Crown Prosecutors is met. In the financial year 2024/25, the CPS prosecuted 121,216 offences relating to theft from a shop. This was a 39.4% increase from the year before (86,918 in 2023/2024). In the same year, the CPS prosecuted 2,145 attempted shoplifting offences, an increase of 35.6% from the previous year (2023-2024).

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) recognises the serious harm caused by such scams targeting vulnerable and older people, including those exploiting winter fuel payments. The CPS will prosecute any such cases referred that meet their legal test.

The CPS’ approach to tackling fraud and protecting vulnerable victims is set out in the CPS Economic Crime Strategy 2025 Final Progress Report which was published in May 2025. The CPS continues to engage with Age UK and other civil society partners on a broad range of economic crime issues to understand victims’ concerns and improve support.

Although the CPS cannot disaggregate its Fraud and Forgery Principal Offence Category Data to identify the number of prosecutions specifically related to winter fuel payment scams, since 2021, the CPS has maintained strong performance in fraud prosecutions, securing conviction rates of over 85%.

Over the last five years, more than £458 million has been recovered through CPS-obtained confiscation orders, with £95 million returned to victims by way of compensation.

The Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) National Operating Model (NOM) for adult rape prosecutions and the CPS-Police Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan (DA JJP) are central to improving outcomes in cases involving violence against women and girls (VAWG). These initiatives rely on dedicated, specially trained prosecutors working across a range of CPS Units, including Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Units, Magistrates Units, and Crown Court Units.

The latest Spending Review settlement for the CPS reflects the Government’s commitment to protecting the public through independent and fair prosecutions. It will provide record investment into the CPS, with total funding reaching £1 billion in 2028-29 to help bring more offenders to justice.

The additional £95.8m over the Spending Review period will allow CPS to increase the number of prosecutors and people on the frontline delivering justice, including in CPS’s specialist Rape and Serious Sexual Offence units, and to improve their services to victims and witnesses. The CPS continues to monitor demand and resource requirements closely to ensure effective delivery of its commitments.

The forthcoming CPS VAWG Strategy, due for publication later this year, sets out to improve prosecution effectiveness and build victim trust, including updated legal guidance, enhanced specialist training, and targeted action plans for specific offence types such as stalking and honour-based abuse. The strategy reflects the CPS’ commitment to supporting the Government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

As you are aware, I was appointed to the role of Solicitor General on 6 September. The Security Minister gave a statement to the House on 15 September stating that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had taken the decision to not proceed with the prosecutions of Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry.

Decisions to prosecute are, rightly, made independently of Government by the CPS. Once consent is granted, the CPS is responsible for conducting the case.

I had no input into or knowledge of the case being dropped until it became public knowledge.

The decision to offer no evidence was a decision made by the CPS, without any political influence, including by the Attorney General and me, as the CPS has already confirmed several times.

As you are aware, I was appointed to the role of Solicitor General on 6 September. The Security Minister gave a statement to the House on 15 September stating that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had taken the decision to not proceed with the prosecutions of Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry.

Decisions to prosecute are, rightly, made independently of Government by the CPS. Once consent is granted, the CPS is responsible for conducting the case.

I had no input into or knowledge of the case being dropped until it became public knowledge.

The decision to offer no evidence was a decision made by the CPS, without any political influence, including by the Attorney General and me, as the CPS has already confirmed several times.

As you are aware, I was appointed to the role of Solicitor General on 6 September. The Security Minister gave a statement to the House on 15 September stating that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had taken the decision to not proceed with the prosecutions of Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry.

Decisions to prosecute are, rightly, made independently of Government by the CPS. Once consent is granted, the CPS is responsible for conducting the case.

I had no input into or knowledge of the case being dropped until it became public knowledge.

The decision to offer no evidence was a decision made by the CPS, without any political influence, including by the Attorney General and me, as the CPS has already confirmed several times.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) engaged directly with the National Investigation Service (NATIS) and therefore did not have any communication with police on these matters, unless the police were otherwise assisting NATIS on a case.

A manual count of cases shows that the CPS advised on 40 cases investigated by NATIS between June 2021 and November 2024.

The income realised from bona vacantia, including from deceased people’s estates, is published in the Crown’s Nominee Accounts which are laid before Parliament annually.

This Government is committed to tackling hate crime in all its forms, including race.

The table below shows the number of convictions and prosecutions by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for defendants flagged with a racial hate crime monitoring flag for the five financial years from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2025. In the last year alone, prosecutions have increased by 16%.

The CPS defines racial hate crime as any incident which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on a person’s ethnicity or perceived ethnicity.

The volumes reported above for the financial year 2020/21 reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including court closures from mid-March to the end of June 2020 and the subsequent recovery period. Caution should therefore be exercised in making comparisons with previous or later years.

This Government is taking significant action to counter the cyber threat posed to UK nationals and businesses.

The Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) response to cybercrime is delivered at a local, national and international level, with increasing levels of expertise targeted at the most complex cases.

Cybercrime is complex – often involving transnational elements and led by highly skilled organised crime groups. The CPS takes this form of offending extremely seriously and will prosecute cases referred to them by law enforcement wherever its legal test is met.

The CPS handles both cyber enabled and cyber dependent crime. Most cyber dependent crime is prosecuted under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. While the CPS does not hold data showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation, I can confirm that between April 2020 and March 2025, 992 offences under the Act reached a first hearing in the magistrates’ court. This is set out by year below. Please note that this data relates to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants.

As of 24 September 2025, up to 153 estates await possible advertising since the temporary removal of the Bona Vacantia unclaimed estates list on 7 July 2025.

The future publication of the list is currently under review.

Estates administered as bona vacantia continue to be published in The Gazette.

Management information held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) shows the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced that were finalised between 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2025.

The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. The CPS does not hold data showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.

Requests for data on arrests should be directed to the Home Office as the lead government department for the police.

This Government is working hard to reduce the court backlog through record number of sitting days in courts and record investment as part of the Spending Review.

The following Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Areas have regular meetings with Police Witness Care Units and court centres: East Midlands, North West, South East, West Midlands, Yorkshire & Humberside, East of England, London South, Mersey-Cheshire, North East, Thames and Chiltern and SEOCID International, London and South East Division.

These meetings are informal and provide opportunities to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of trials.

The CPS is working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and HM Courts & Tribunals Service to identify and potentially scale up best practice and has recently conducted a survey in collaboration with both with the aim of creating a national operating model in the future.

The Bona Vacantia unclaimed estates list was temporarily removed from GOV.UK on 7 July 2025. At this time, the number of estates published on the list was 5,770.

The future publication of the list is currently under review.

Estates administered as bona vacantia continue to be published in The Gazette.

The Bona Vacantia unclaimed estates list was temporarily removed from GOV.UK on 7 July 2025. At this time, the number of estates published on the list was 5,770.

The future publication of the list is currently under review.

Estates administered as bona vacantia continue to be published in The Gazette.

The Department for Business and Trade has responsibility for the National Investigation Service, given it is overseen by the Insolvency Service. As a result, the Crown Prosecution has made no assessment of the adequacy of the National Investigation Service.

Travel advice for Ukraine, issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, makes clear that if a British national travels to Ukraine to fight, or to assist others engaged in the war, their activities may amount to offences under UK legislation.

Anyone, regardless of their citizenship, who travels from the UK to take part in conflicts overseas may be investigated by the police on return to determine if they have committed criminal offences, and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security.

The Crown Prosecution Service will consider any information that is referred by the police and any decision to prosecute will be considered on a case-by case basis and in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

Reducing victim attrition remains a serious concern for this Government. We are committed to improving the experiences of victims of rape and sexual violence and ensuring they receive the support they need to continue with their cases.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) recognises that it has a key role to play in ensuring that victims receive better communication and support at both the pre- and post-charge stages, underpinned by timely and high-quality decision making.

Through its Victim Transformation Programme, the CPS is taking action to improve the service offered to all victims of crime. As part of this work, all adult victims of rape now receive an Enhanced Service – which includes access to a dedicated Victim Liaison Officer, as well as the offer of a pre-trial meeting with the prosecution team. Victims are also able to speak with Independent Sexual Violence Advisors, who can answer questions and signpost them towards relevant support services.

More broadly, in May 2025, the CPS published its Victim Service Standards, which publicly set out the expectations CPS staff should meet when writing to or speaking with victims. The Standards make clear that victims can expect consistency, empathy and clarity from the CPS.

The two tables below show the overall volumes of prosecutions conducted by the CPS since 2021 for (1) rape flagged cases, and (2) cases where the principal offence category was ‘sexual offences’ (excluding rape flagged cases to avoid double counting).

For each category, the tables also provide the volume of victim attrition (the number of prosecutions that were stopped because the victim no longer supported, or was unable to support, the prosecution) and the rate of victim attrition (the proportion of total prosecutions that were discontinued for this reason).

Further information is available in the quarterly data published on the CPS website: https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/cps-quarterly-data-summaries

Table 1: Victim attrition in rape flagged prosecutions

Table 2: Victim attrition in prosecutions for Sexual Offences (excluding rape flagged prosecutions)

Prosecutions relating to Palestine Action arrests are currently ongoing and at different stages of progression.

As such, no Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) costs assessments have been made at this stage, but the CPS continues to keep resourcing under review.

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) management information shows that in the most recent 12 months ending March 2025 it took a mean average of 46 calendar days from the first time the CPS received a case, either a request for early advice or a referral for a charging decision, to the decision to charge and prosecute.

For the above metric the median average is two calendar days.

The above timeliness data includes cases where the police have submitted a file for early advice as well as those for charging decision. This data includes cases where the police were required to submit further evidence prior to a decision to charge. This generally includes more than one submission and further investigation.

The timeliness of a charging decision is determined by three key factors: whether the case has been sent to the CPS for early advice during the investigative process; how quickly the police can complete the necessary enquiries; and how quickly the CPS can then review the evidence provided by the police and finalise the charging decision.

The Attorney General has never engaged in discussion with Philippe Sands on the UK-Mauritius Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago.

The Government takes the use of artificial intelligence to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM) extremely seriously. Offences involving AI-generated CSAM – including so-called ‘deepfakes’ – are an increasing concern for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) due to the realism of such images and the speed and scale at which they can be produced.

Creating, possessing, or distributing AI-generated CSAM is already a criminal offence. The Online Safety Act expands upon this by placing a duty on online platforms to proactively identify and remove this type of content. The CPS will prosecute individuals who commit these offences whenever the legal test is met.

The Attorney General’s Office and CPS are working closely with criminal justice partners to identify and address any legislative gaps. The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new offence to criminalise AI models that have been optimised to create CSAM. It will also expand existing legislation on ‘paedophile manuals’ to enable the prosecution of individuals who instruct others on how to use AI tools to generate CSAM.

Management information held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) shows the number of defendants whose prosecution was dropped by the CPS and the primary reason allocated to the outcome at finalisation.

The table below shows the number and proportion of prosecutions dropped and the reason applied for the latest available three years ending March 2025.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has recruited the following additional prosecutors in each of the last three years:

The CPS forecasts significant growth in the number of additional prosecutors for the financial year 2025/26 following its positive Spending Review Phase 2 settlement – in which CPS received an uplift of £96 million.

In June, the Chancellor announced a landmark increase of £96m (RDELex) in additional funding for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over the spending review period.

Through the spending review process, the AGO worked with the CPS and HM Treasury to review and agree CPS resources through assessing current and anticipated future case volumes, including consideration of the number of sitting days and the growing complexity of cases. This included a zero-based review of the CPS’ budget for this financial year, which tested the value for money of their spending and ensured that they are driving efficiencies and delivering for the public.

The additional funding over the next three years will mean the CPS can recruit more Crown Advocates and frontline staff to prosecute cases and better support victims. Investment in digital technology, new digital casework tools, and exploration of artificial intelligence tools will enable a more productive CPS to respond to the growing volume of cases.

Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns is published annually, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence.

The next update will be for the year ending 31st March 2025.

The Attorney General’s Office does not issue operational guidance to the CPS.

The CPS has a specific programme of work dedicated to improving communication with victims of crime which includes the introduction of a new Enhanced Service offer for adult victims of rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO). This service incudes the offer of a pre-trial meeting with a member of the prosecution team which provides victims the opportunity to discuss and ask questions about the process of giving evidence.

CPS guidance recommends that those leading the meeting discuss with victims the likely timescales involved in a case and point out the potential implications of court listing practicalities.

The CPS has also recruited over 40 Victim Liaison Officers (VLOs) to work in its RASSO Units to help improve the quality of engagement with adult RASSO victims. These VLOs act as a consistent point of contact within the CPS for victims, should they have any questions about the prosecution process.

The Attorney General’s Office has not spent money on social media influencers since July 2024.

Influencers can be effective in reaching audiences that the Government and traditional marketing channels find hard to reach.

This Government is committed to working with the police and other partners to address the blight of rural crime.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners, can work together to tackle the most prevalent threats and emerging issues which predominantly affect rural communities.

Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors work closely with local police officers and officers from the National Rural Crime Unit and National Wildlife Crime Unit to tackle all types of rural crime, ensuring timely charging decisions and effective prosecutions.

The Government announced earlier this year that both Units, which the Home Office funds, will receive over £800,000 to continue their important work.

The CPS provides legal guidance on Wildlife, Rural and Heritage Crime, which is available to all its prosecutors, to assist them in dealing with these cases, and specialist training to ensure that its prosecutors have the expert knowledge needed to prosecute these crimes.

The CPS has also recently appointed a national lead on rural crime who heads up a network of Wildlife, Rural and Heritage Crime Champions across the CPS, to work with organisations with an interest in tackling all forms of wildlife, rural and heritage crime.

Administering a substance to a person without their consent – commonly known as ‘spiking’ – is a serious criminal offence. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is committed to prosecuting spiking cases effectively where they are referred to us by the police. We have seen a 40% increase in the number of spiking related offences the CPS have charged between 2022/23 to 2024/25.

The CPS has undertaken work to improve prosecutions for violence against women and girls (VAWG), which can include spiking. Through initiatives such as the National Operating Model for Adult Rape and the Domestic Abuse Joint Justice Plan with policing, the CPS is embedding a suspect-focused approach to VAWG offending. This means that prosecutors examine the behaviour and actions of the suspect before, during, and after the alleged assault. Spiking may form part of a wider pattern of predatory behaviour, and identifying this is key to building a strong prosecution case.

The CPS is also promoting closer collaboration between prosecutors and police to ensure that key aspects of the evidence-gathering process – such as a forensic strategy – are agreed at an early stage in the investigation.

This Government is proposing to introduce an updated offence of spiking through the Crime and Policing Bill. This would streamline the legislative framework – which is currently spread across several provisions in the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 – and support prosecutors in identifying the most appropriate charge.

We recognise spiking is an under-reported crime, and strongly encourage anyone who has been a victim of this offence to report it to the police.

The Crown Prosecution Service does not, as a matter of practice, publish materials used in internal conferences.

Ancillary orders, including Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs), play an important work in delivering justice, especially for victims of crime.

When submitting a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in cases where it is appropriate to seek a CBO, the police are required to provide information to justify the making of a CBO. As with other ancillary orders, prosecutors apply for CBOs where the law enables them to do so, considering all the facts and circumstances in a case.

In the Government’s response to the Independent Sentencing Review, the Ministry of Justice announced plans to expand ancillary orders and to explore wider powers for judges to enable them to use these orders more effectively and punish offenders. The CPS is working with the Ministry of Justice to provide prosecutorial insight in support of this work.

The Law Officers’ Convention applies to advice which may or may not have been given by, or requested of, the Law Officers, and it applies to your question. It can be found at paragraph 21.27 of Erskine May:

“By long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, the fact of, and substance of advice from, the law officers of the Crown is not disclosed outside government. This convention is referred to in paragraph [5.14] of the Ministerial Code [updated on 6 November 2024]. The purpose of this convention is to enable the Government to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.”

Policy-makers are mindful of the overarching duty, set out at paragraph 1.6 of the Ministerial Code, to comply with the law, including international law and treaty obligations. They seek advice from their departmental lawyers in this regard, as appropriate.

The Attorney General’s Office have 10 people on flexible working arrangements which represents 17.24% of the workforce. Of these 8 are on a compressed hours arrangement.

On 24 October 2024 the Cabinet Office announced that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Senior managers will continue to be expected to be in the office more than 60% of the time.

If people do not meet that reasonable expectation, as with any management instruction it will be dealt with via existing performance management processes and ultimately with disciplinary action should there be sustained failure to comply.

Published data on office attendance for 102 Petty France is available https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-headquarters-occupancy-data.

The Attorney General's Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Confidentiality, secure communications and data protection

The Law Officers’ Departments (LODs) – the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI), Government Legal Department (GLD), and Serious Fraud Office (SFO) – approach their responsibilities for data, confidentiality and security with the utmost seriousness. This is reflected in their hybrid working policies, annual mandatory data protection and security training, as well as the employment of appropriate technology, equipment and organisational systems which support remote working.

Productivity and efficiency

The LODs are also committed to delivering the most productive and value for money services.

They all operate hybrid working policies which are in line with central guidance set by Cabinet Office.

Productivity is predominantly assessed through line management chains and the departmental performance management system to assess individual performance and ensure expectations are being met. In addition, GLD staff are required to record time they spend on activities, and GLD seeks direct feedback from the government departments to which they provide legal services.

Ultimately one of the most effective ways to drive continuous productivity across the LODs is to ensure they can recruit and retain the workforce needed to deliver vital services required by the Government. A balanced approach to hybrid working is a key part of achieving this.

Costs

The LODs provide their employees with appropriate equipment to support effective, efficient and secure remote working.

As to specific costs for the CPS, GLD, and SFO, I refer the Hon Member to my responses to UINs 65703, 65704, and 65705 tabled on 8 July 2025.

HMCPSI’s spend to support remote working for the financial year 2024/25 was £370.43, equating to £18.52 per head.

Confidentiality, secure communications and data protection

The Law Officers’ Departments (LODs) – the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI), Government Legal Department (GLD), and Serious Fraud Office (SFO) – approach their responsibilities for data, confidentiality and security with the utmost seriousness. This is reflected in their hybrid working policies, annual mandatory data protection and security training, as well as the employment of appropriate technology, equipment and organisational systems which support remote working.

Productivity and efficiency

The LODs are also committed to delivering the most productive and value for money services.

They all operate hybrid working policies which are in line with central guidance set by Cabinet Office.

Productivity is predominantly assessed through line management chains and the departmental performance management system to assess individual performance and ensure expectations are being met. In addition, GLD staff are required to record time they spend on activities, and GLD seeks direct feedback from the government departments to which they provide legal services.

Ultimately one of the most effective ways to drive continuous productivity across the LODs is to ensure they can recruit and retain the workforce needed to deliver vital services required by the Government. A balanced approach to hybrid working is a key part of achieving this.

Costs

The LODs provide their employees with appropriate equipment to support effective, efficient and secure remote working.

As to specific costs for the CPS, GLD, and SFO, I refer the Hon Member to my responses to UINs 65703, 65704, and 65705 tabled on 8 July 2025.

HMCPSI’s spend to support remote working for the financial year 2024/25 was £370.43, equating to £18.52 per head.

Confidentiality, secure communications and data protection

The Law Officers’ Departments (LODs) – the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI), Government Legal Department (GLD), and Serious Fraud Office (SFO) – approach their responsibilities for data, confidentiality and security with the utmost seriousness. This is reflected in their hybrid working policies, annual mandatory data protection and security training, as well as the employment of appropriate technology, equipment and organisational systems which support remote working.

Productivity and efficiency

The LODs are also committed to delivering the most productive and value for money services.

They all operate hybrid working policies which are in line with central guidance set by Cabinet Office.

Productivity is predominantly assessed through line management chains and the departmental performance management system to assess individual performance and ensure expectations are being met. In addition, GLD staff are required to record time they spend on activities, and GLD seeks direct feedback from the government departments to which they provide legal services.

Ultimately one of the most effective ways to drive continuous productivity across the LODs is to ensure they can recruit and retain the workforce needed to deliver vital services required by the Government. A balanced approach to hybrid working is a key part of achieving this.

Costs

The LODs provide their employees with appropriate equipment to support effective, efficient and secure remote working.

As to specific costs for the CPS, GLD, and SFO, I refer the Hon Member to my responses to UINs 65703, 65704, and 65705 tabled on 8 July 2025.

HMCPSI’s spend to support remote working for the financial year 2024/25 was £370.43, equating to £18.52 per head.

The Attorney General’s Office follows Civil Service Commission guidance on recruitment of its staff and remunerates consistent to Cabinet Office rules. All government departments are required to publish the salaries of Senior Civil Servants in their Annual Report and Accounts laid in parliament.

I would direct the MP for Great Yarmouth to the HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25, published on gov.uk.

Any expenditure on equality, diversity and inclusion is conducted in line with Civil Service policies. With reference to the specific spend listed within the Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, published on 30 May 2025, the one hour Black History Talk took place as part of Black History Month in October 2024 at a cost of £150. It was delivered by a law lecturer, who has worked for a number of UK/US universities and law schools.

It is evident that all professional advice should avoid placing undue emphasis on risks that are negligible.